Frank Proctor on Training

“I’m not a fan of scenarios and “what ifs”. I am a fan of solid fundamentals and programing them to a point where you instantly apply those fundamentals to any situation you find in order to solve problems without overthinking.”

“I was a Green Beret for 8 years before I changed to my current rifle reload procedure. I was taught that it was OK to keep the rifle on fire during a bolt lock reload and when I was the Primary Instructor for the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course I also taught it that way….

So I was watching some YouTube one day in 2012 and saw Pat McNamara talking about how he does rifle reloads. Pat puts the rifle on safe during the bolt lock reloads. Pat retired from the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment (D) and was the marksmanship instructor for his unit for awhile. After hearing pretty legit dude like Pat talk about it I decided to try it. It took me about 20 deliberate reps to program getting the gun on safe into my bolt lock reload. Since that day in October 2012 I haven’t lost even a tenth of a second on a bolt lock reload due to putting the rifle on safe during the reload.”

A 1911, an M1 and an M14 all have safeties that engage the hammer and prevent its movement. On an AR, like most rifles, the safety only prevents the trigger from moving, but does not arrest hammer travel is the sear-hammer junction were to separate.

(This is a common problem on match conditioned 1911s or ones that are well worn, and the result of just the shock of the slide closing can cause an accidental/negligent discharge if the hammer is not otherwise controlled. Long, long ago, when I was a service pistol competitor, right-handed shooters learned to use the thumb of our left (non-firing) hand to hold back the hammer when tripping the slide release, that usually done with the non-shooting hand’s index finger.)

So with that explanation, what is the benefit on an AR of putting the safety on when inserting a new magazine and charging the rifle?

>> So with that explanation, what is the benefit on an AR of putting the safety on when inserting a new magazine and charging the rifle?

You aren’t missing anything and your assessment is spot on.

Some people, instructors, units/departments/agency choose to use a “safety must be on safe” to help prevent negligent discharges while others use a “the shooter is the safety” approach. Both can be argued for and against. In the end, there is as much compelling, scientific evidence and universal agreement on this as there is on whether blondes, brunettes, or redheads are always most attractive.

This is the problem with much of the argument surrounding tactics, techniques, and procedures. The only universally correct answer is “it depends.”

Because of this ever-present ambiguity with TTPs, it makes the most sense to focus on things that truly do apply universally, such as fundamentals. A person that programs them to proven, high levels can better adapt in situations where uncertainty is common. Such a person can readily change out TTPs as needed because they know how to train effectively, as demonstrated by possessing higher skills. Proctor’s case is a common example.

So-called training scars are a problem mostly with people that don’t know how to train. People that do can quickly change and adapt as needed.